Hindsight
by Tigertutu.Cosplay
Summary: It was one kiss, one simple kiss. But it was not so innocent. Fanny is with another boy, and Hoagie doesn't like it one bit. 2x86x19th tri
1. Chapter 1

Well, here I am, back with a new collaboration with CindyNeutron and TehDrabbler. As you should tell, we are part of the 2/86 Closet Keepers, and have decided on a fic just for. Here i've written the first chapter for you.

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Chapter One

He had known about the "boyfriend". He had known she had no interest in him at all. But last weeks event at the latest TND stakeout made him confused, angry even. That she could play him that way and act like nothing happened. He leaned back on his locker, and stared long and hard at a small-darkened spot on the floor, as if waiting for it to jump to life or something.

Hoagie Gilligan, now at 16 years of age thought his life was great. He had a small yet enjoyable group of friends, he was getting good grades and excelling in shop classes, and people treated him with uttermost respect. All except for one girl however.

Her name was Fanny Fullbright, and her agenda was simple; ignore and torment Hoagie Gilligan in any way she could muster. And it seemed she had accomplished that last week.

They had been assigned a stakeout on a new family just settling in to the neighbourhood. Both of the teens sat under the moonlit night, eyeing the house like hawks.

"_You know, I'm capable of doing this myself." Fanny said, grabbing the other boy's attention._

"_And you know I'm not refusing an order from my boss." He replied, staring ever so casually. _

"_Fine, whatever." Fanny replied, not wanting to take much more interest in the so-called teammate beside her._

"_So, has much happened in there?" He asked, catching a mere corner of the eye look._

"_If you must know, this family seems quite normal. There's been no…" Her sentence was cut short by an eerie trance the other operative was in. "What?"_

_He said nothing, and instead innocently laid his hand upon hers. She stiffened up and in her mind she panicked. She didn't know why he was acting this way, until she saw how bright the sky blanket was tonight. She felt his other hand gently slide up to her cheek, and before she could say a thing, he moved in for the kill._

_He didn't know why he was doing this, but feeling the warmth of her lips pressed against his own made him feel quite comfortable. He expected her to punch him way, push him out of the tree, but she did something he had merely dreamed of._

_She grasped his shoulder, and squeezed as she joined in the brief kiss. It seemed like eternity before she broke away and turned her attention back to the house, and yet it was mere seconds. He decided to do his duty, and neither breathed a word to each other the rest of the night._

And now it seemed she wanted nothing more to do with the kiss, and even more so him as she stood by that wallflower she loved calling her boyfriend. His name was Albert, and though to Hoagie he seemed about as exciting as a brick in the wall, he cared for Fanny very much, which was to the technician's disliking. But it seemed that there was no way of breaking the so-called "happy couple" apart anytime soon, so Hoagie just bottled away his feelings about it. Though, his anger was now so intense that he felt a sudden urge to kill her right there and then as he watched them exchanging an inaudible conversation and a peck here and there. He looked down to see half of his papers were now scrunched so badly he couldn't make out any of the writing. But he didn't really care at that point in time; there were far more important things in life than some stupid homework sheets.

What got him even more disgusted with her actions was when she had the nerve to turn to spot him and send him a very snotty look. He didn't see how she was allowed to do that to him; after all, it takes two to make the mistake they did.

"Umm, Hoagie?" His attention snapped up to the sound of a soft cooing voice. The voice of his sweet and caring friend, Kuki Sanban. She was lent over and staring with deep concern. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine I guess." He lied. The cogs in his head had already grinded themselves down so much, his anger was now a continuing process. He stood up, and opened his locker. Each of his actions of throwing his paper in and slamming the door shut caused a few eye openers to passers by, but no one bothered doing any more than look. Their looks assumed that would be Kuki's job.

"Well, we'd better get to class before the teacher blows." She stated calmly as she grabbed his arm and dragged him down the corridor opposite the couple. Hoagie narrowed his eyes as the Irish red head dared to take a glance at him once more, before leaving with Albert, hand-in-hand.


	2. Chapter 2

Heres chapter two, done by the talented CindyNeutron.

Chapter Two

Fanny let out a low growl as she slammed her locker door. Beside her, Albert stood leaning against the locker, not bothering to inquire why she was so irritated today. After all, she was irritated most of the time.

That was part of why she was irritated, though. Because he wouldn't ask her what was wrong, and that made her feel all the more guilty for the kiss.  
_As if you could even call it a kiss_, she thought bitterly, trying to convince herself that that moment had been horrible. Awful. That it was just the worst thing she could ever experience.

Of course, the fact that she was failing quite miserably only served to fuel her fire. "Who does he think he is, anyways?! It wasn't even that good!" She tried to regain composure when she realized she had said that out loud. Worse, she'd said it with her boyfriend within easy ear shot. She glanced at him sheepishly, realizing that he still looked kind of distant. He hadn't been listening.

"Albert?"

"Huh?" He blinked. "Sorry…but we just missed the first ten minutes of first period. You realize that, right?"

_This is all Hoagie Gilligan's fault_, Fanny thought fiercely, grabbing Albert's hand and pulling him towards their first class. Unfortunately, they had that very class with both Kuki and Hoagie. Fanny threw a poisonous glance in Hoagie's direction as she took her seat beside Albert at the circular lab table.

Hoagie was on the other side of the room. Surprisingly enough, when Fanny went to throw him another evil glare, he was already staring daggers at her. Her jaw dropped a bit, but she regained composure and 'hmmphed!' at him, turning to face the front of the class and starting to copy the notes from the board.

_How can he be mad at me? He's the one who kissed me. He made that move. I never asked him to. He knows I have Albert, too…stupid, no good, irritating…_

"MISSES FULLBRIGHT AND MR. GILLIGAN, WOULD THE TWO OF YOU SPACE CADETS LIKE TO COME BACK TO EARTH NOW?" Their teacher, Ms.Tessla,'s voice brought Fanny crashing back down to reality.

"Sorry, ma'am," Fanny muttered, realizing that she had just missed ten minutes of a lecture on Gregor Mendel.

"Yeah, sorry," Hoagie added with a shrug.

"I'm going to have to move you two to the front of the class," Ms. Tessla said, indicating the two vacant chairs that were reserved for trouble makers. You sat at a table until you broke the rules. "Up, now."

Hoagie made a face, and Fanny looked absolutely disgusted. "NO WAY!" They shouted in unison. Ms. Tessla's eyebrows raised about an inch, but she said nothing. She sat at her desk and pulled out a notebook. "Very well…then you will both report for detention."

"What?! That's not fair! You can't make me stay in detention with..with.._him_!" Fanny complained, spitting out the last word as though it were poisonous.

"You're not exactly a day at the beach, either, Fullbright," Hoagie responded with a snort.

"You two keep talking, and it will be two days' detention," Ms. Tessla said warningly.  
Realizing they were fighting a losing battle, both teenagers closed their mouths and crossed their arms, Hoagie sinking down in his chair as Kuki patted him on the shoulder to comfort him. He shrugged her off and glanced towards Fanny.

This time, she did not notice him looking at her. Which was all the better, in Hoagie's opinion. This look was not out of hatred. There had been the tiniest shred of hope, which his own memory served to dash to pieces in a minute.

If she wouldn't even admit to the kiss happening, what were the odds she would admit to anything else? Or that what he hoped most could be true?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three is done by TehDrabbler. Please go and swing by hers and CindyNeutron's accounts and send them the credit for a third of the fic, ok?

Chapter Three

The rest of the day passed without incident. They only had one other class together, and if they spent more time trying not to glare at each other than paying attention to Pythagorean Theorems, this teacher didn't notice.

The last bell rang, and Fanny stomped to her locker where Albert already waited for her. Other students walked by in groups or alone, everyone in a hurry to get home. Only two people would have to stay in school this day, since only one teacher was sadistic enough to give detention on a Friday.

"Shall I wait for you?" Albert asked as Fanny dug out the materials she'd need for weekend homework.

She almost said yes, but stopped herself. He always did this: waited for her, going out of his way to make her happy, letting her have her way in all things. Then she turns around and… And what? She certainly didn't _invite_ that kiss. Nope, she was completely guilt-free in that, she told herself, not really believing it. But the least she could do was let Albert go home and… do whatever he did when he wasn't waiting on her hand and foot.  
"Nah, you go on," she said smiling. "He's just a big dope. I can handle it."

Albert returned her smile. "Very well." He leaned forward to kiss her goodbye as always. This time, however, when he would have pulled away, Fanny wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. Surprised, but not displeased, Albert let her deepen the kiss. After a long minute, they separated. Albert smirked and raised an eyebrow. "What was that for?"

Fanny stifled the thread of disappointment trying to worm into her voice. "Oh, nothing," she answered flirtatiously, and turned away before her forced smile failed, and saw Hoagie—the idiot—standing by his locker, watching her. The anger in his eyes was hot enough to melt steel. He slammed his locker closed so hard the door bounced back open. He closed it again, forcing it shut with this palm of his hand, never taking his eyes off her. He turned his back on the couple and stormed down the hall to detention.

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He was already seated when she arrived. Ms. Tessla, on the other hand, was absent. Instead, Mrs. Aldridge, the ancient librarian, sat at the teacher's desk. "Have a seat, dear," she said, indicating the second desk, next to Hoagie. Fanny straightened her orange shorts, raised her pert nose firmly in the air, strode passed him to take the seat closer to the window, and turned as much of her back to him as the desk allowed. Hoagie answered by glowering at the doorknob instead of the girl.

The librarian ignored the animosity between the students. That, or she simply didn't notice without her glasses. "I'm sorry, but your teacher had to leave. Some kind of emergency with her goldfish." She paused, tapping her chin with a single finger, probably wondering how big an emergency a goldfish could have. "Anyway, she asked me to sit in. Now why don't you two just…" She yawned. "Start on your… homework… and…" The woman's eyes fell closed and the room fell silent, save the occasional snore from the chaperone.

Neither of them moved. Neither spoke. The room echoed with the same desperate silence the two had experienced all week. Usually when they were in the same general area, ears would ring with their squabbles. Numbuh 5 always said they were the only people she knew who could disagree about the color of the sky; everyone was still amazed by that one. The only reason Numbuhs 2 and 86 kept being sent on missions together was that they made a very effective team. When they could stop fighting long enough to remember their jobs, that is.

But this quiet was not a peaceful one. The room filled with tension. Both felt close to snapping, but neither wanted to be the first to speak.

Finally, Fanny, never one to stop talking for long, broke the silence. "This is all _yer_ fault," she accused, soft enough to avoid waking the teacher, but loud enough that he couldn't help hearing.

Hoagie's head whipped around. "_My_ fault?" he demanded in an angry whisper.

"Yes, _yer_ fault. If you hadn't been daydreaming in class…"

"Hey, you weren't paying attention, either."

"_I_ was taking notes." She hadn't, but he didn't need to know that.

"Why bother? Doesn't your _pet_ do everything for you?"

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Aldridge snorted and grumbled, but didn't wake up. Fanny cringed and lowered her voice. "At least Albert is a _gentleman_." _Unlike some people_, she thought, but wasn't about to open that can of worms.

"He's a whipped puppy," Hoagie countered.

"He is _not_, you creepy dolt!"

"Is too, you screaming brat."

"Daft moron."

"Raging harpy."

The insults flew like spit balls. Oddly enough, the participants felt at ease for the first time in seven days. In an argument, at least, they knew their roles and where they stood.  
"If you weren't such an _idiot_," Fanny continued harshly, "you'd find a way to get us out of here."

"Fine," Hoagie retorted. "I _will_."

Without another word, he stood and walked to the large clock hanging on the wall. Quietly, so the plastic wouldn't scrape against the plaster, he removed the timepiece and twisted a small knob on the back. Silently, he replaced the clock and returned to his desk. After clearing his throat, he shouted, "Mrs. Aldridge!"

The librarian was jarred awake, nearly falling from her chair. "Yes? Yes, what is it?"

Hoagie pointed to the clock. "It's been an hour. Can we go?"

She looked at the clock with surprise. "Why… yes. Yes of course you can." She squinted at her wristwatch. "Darn thing's stopped again… 45 minutes slow."

Fanny could only gape as Hoagie gathered his things and left the room. No _way_ it could be _that_ easy. Then again… She glanced at the teacher, still fiddling with her timepiece, then grabbed her stuff and ran before the librarian discovered the dupe.

He was waiting for her. Outside the classroom, he leaned nonchalantly against a row of lockers. "Happy now?" he asked snidely.

"Hmph." Fanny lifted her nose again and proceeded to ignore him. Unfortunately, he was one of the hardest people to ignore. Hoagie fell into step beside her. Eyes narrowed at the ugly tiles, she walked faster. He adjusted easily. So fast she almost ran. He kept pace. Finally, she stopped in her tracks. Startled, he skidded to a halt a few steps ahead. "Stop following me!" she demanded.

"Stop ignoring me," he challenged.

She pushed by him, but Hoagie grabbed her arm before she could escape. The momentum made her do a half-spin before stopping, face to face for the first time in days. Fists clenched, Fanny glared. "Let go," she ordered.

"Not until we talk." She had grated on his nerves all day, even when she wasn't around. Then seeing her make out with her… with that _guy_ was almost more than he could take. Their little battle finally snapped the last one. They would clear the air _today_, if it was the last thing he ever did.

"There's nothing to talk about." She twisted her arm, breaking his hold, and stalked down the hall.

He gawked at her, disgust evident on his face. "So… so that's it, huh? Just going to pretend nothing happened?"  
Fanny stopped at the door to shoot a glare over her shoulder. "Nothing _did_ happen."

Hoagie was wrong. He had a few nerves left for her to step on. Running, he caught the door before it closed behind her. The afternoon sun was bright after the dim halls, and his eyes took a second to adjust. Fanny wasn't far ahead of him, though, and he caught up easily. However, instead of following, he moved in front of her, walking backwards.

"Okay, you think nothing happened? Fine. Guess _this_ didn't happen, either." He stopped and grabbed both her shoulders, bringing her face close to his.

"Are you _crazy_?" Her hands flew to his chest and pushed him away. "I have a _boyfriend_."

Hoagie released her and waited until she was just passed him. "Sure, _now_ you remember."

She twirled and slapped him.

Slowly, he turned his head to look at her, his cheek red from her hand. "So that's how it's gonna be." It wasn't a question.

She lowered her hand. "That's how it _is_."

His eyes narrowed, and he turned away. "Fine," he hissed.

Her spine straightened indignantly. "Fine," she answered, turning also.

"Fine," he called, walking backward.

"Fine!" she shouted, yanking open the door to her white sports car.

"Fine!" he yelled, slamming the door to his blue convertible.

"_Fine_!" she screamed, twisting the key to start the engine.

"_Fine_!" he hollered, backing out of his space and speeding out of the lot.

She glared at his retreating reflection in her rearview mirror. "Fine."


	4. Chapter 4

Heres chapter four, done by yours truly. Please R&R.

Chapter Four

Hoagie thrust the gear stick in park, hopped out of his car as he grabbed his backpack in a huff, and slammed the door so hard the impact threatened to bend the door's frame.

Every step was a forceful stomp to the front door, and he turned the knob and thrust the door enough to make a dramatized entrance without smashing anything. His anger had toned down since the last argument with the harpy child he was made to call a teammate, but it hadn't completely died down. Usually these arguments shared between them wouldn't worry him so much, but because she was acting more ignorant than usual, it really sent him in a molten rage.

"Hoagie, is that you?" A fairly high adult voice came from the kitchen. Hoagie spent the five seconds he had to make his way to his mother to cool down so she wouldn't ask any questions. He loved his mother more than anything, but this issue he felt was really none of her business.

He leant upon the doorframe, receiving a warm smile from his more, and a glare from his grandmother. Mrs. Gilligan took no notice of her mother and began with the daily 20 questions. "So, how was school today?"

Hoagie shrugged as she went back to washing the dishes she had in the sink. "Ok I guess. Got detention."

He knew right away that it was his cue to leave, as he watched a single plate slip from his mother's rubber gloved fingers and landed back in its bubbly sanctuary. As Hoagie trudged up the stairs, he cursed before feeling disappointed that the dish was plastic.

He made his way down the hallway, noticing his pesky brother watching him attentively.

"Hey Hoagie, I was wondering if we could do something and…" His voice trailed off as the door with a sign saying "Hoagie.P.Gilligan" in gold slammed shut. Tommy grumbled and retreated back to his room. He was kind of used to it by now.

Hoagie threw his backpack into a lonely corner, and slumped down on his bed. He knew he'd be receiving a lecture anytime soon so he wasn't going to start anything. And really, he didn't feel like doing anything at all. But this was changed however, when his mobile began to ring. He lazily got back off his bed, rummaged through the messy front pocket of his bag and excavated his metallic blue phone. He kind of squinted at the number, but answered anyway.

"Hello?" He inquired.

"_Oh hey Hoagie, it's Rachel." _Came a reply. _"I was hoping I'd catch you."_

"Well, you did." He replied unconsciously bluntly. "What's up?"

"Well, I need to talk to you about…homework."

Hoagie knew where she was getting at. She wanted to talk about a mission, but her parents were obviously hanging around. "Sure thing. You want to meet at the café in fifteen?"

"Yeah, that'd be really good. Seeya then."

He hung up, and slipped his mobile into his pocket, just in case he got a call. He flung open his door, took long strides through the hall and basically flew down the stairs. His mother however, was waiting for him at the bottom.

"Hoagie, we need to talk." She inquired as he merely sent a glance and began to stride past her.

"No time mom, Rachel needs me." He headed out for his car, calling back. "We'll talk when I get back!"

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Hoagie and Rachel took a seat in a booth in the far corner, away from people's earshot. Rachel eyed the other teen operative as he quietly sipped his Blue Heaven slushy. To her, he seemed very deep in thought about something.

"Hoagie? You alright?" She enquired quietly.

He looked up and her with raised eyebrows. "Yeah I'm fine. So, what's the sitch this time?"

Rachel took a sip of her own Tropical slushy, and lowered her voice down low while they leant in to each other. "Turns out one of our teachers is working for Father. I've snooped around a bit, but so far I haven't had much luck in finding out their next plot."

"And you want me to snoop around?" Hoagie asked with a bit of interest.

"Yeah, I would. If you can, tomorrow night."

Hoagie nodded as if he was told to feed the dog. It was no big deal for him; it was a simple bust in, grab the info, bust out technique. Though he knew Numbuh 362 wouldn't send him in alone. "Just one question, who else is going to be on this mission?"

"Well, naturally I'll pair you with Fanny. You two, when you're not bickering of course, make an extraordinary team."

Hoagie sighed on the inside, but nodded to Rachel. He knew better than to ask her who he would be going on a mission with, though today he hoped it would've been someone else. Kuki, Abby, heck, Virginia even. But no, he with the one person he was ready to kill anytime he snapped. Rachel saw in his eyes that he wasn't feeling so confident anymore.

"Hey, if you're uncomfortable working with Fanny, I can get someone else to do it. I mean, that argument you had after detention was hard not to notice…"

"It's fine. What her and I are fighting about has nothing to do with work. It's purely social. Though, if we don't sort things soon, it might affect work…"

Rachel placed her hand on his in a friendly, caring way and sent him a warm smile that he could only return. "Don't worry Hoagie, knowing you too you'll sort it out soon."

As if on cue, Fanny happened to walk in. She gazed at how close they currently were, and her gaze moved down to their hands. She sent him an evil stare, mouthed something a lot like 'player' and walked right back out again. Rachel blinked a few times at what she had just experienced, and moved back into her seat.

"Ok, maybe you won't solve it as quick as I thought." She shook her head a few times. "What did she mean by player?"

"I not exactly sure, but I have an idea of what it might be."


	5. Chapter 5

Chp 5 by CindyNeutron. credit to her is very much appreciated.

Chapter Five

Fanny had positioned herself very carefully - for the most part, out of sight of Hoagie, but easily able to watch his interaction with Rachel. _My best friend, too...he's just doing this to make me angry_..

She bolted up, as though a shock of lightning had coursed through her. That wasn't right. She knew it wasn't right. She hmpphed at her doubt and stuck her nose in the air.

So maybe he wasn't doing it just to get back at her, but Hoagie certainly was a player. She leaned over the table, trying to get a good view of Rachel and Hoagie's hands. She couldn't tell if they were still near each other.

_Not like I care..._ she told herself immediately. _I'm just making sure my best friend doesn't get hurt.._

She was pulled from her extended trip to denial land by her cell phone ringing. The display identified the caller as Albert. Eagerly, she answered it. "Albert?"

"Hello, Fanny...So sorry to say I can't make it tonight."

"Why not?"

"Something has come up...odd parents, and all that, you know -" Fanny paused guiltily. She had been the one to find those adoptive parents for him. Which was also why he was now stuck with six sisters and five brothers. "Have to baby-sit again.."

"I understand," Fanny said, trying to hold back a sigh. He couldn't help it. And lately, she wasn't really sure she wanted to be around him. The way her feelings waxed and waned for Hoagie, she felt so guilty.

"Love ya.." he said softly, thankfully hanging up before she had to reply.

"Mind if I sit here?" Fanny glanced up to see Rachel, who slid into the seat across from here before being given permission. Fanny was used to things like that from her best friend. As the leader, Rachel rarely had to ask permission, so she usually only asked as a courtesy.

"So…you and Hoagie?" Fanny said bitterly, glancing out the window. Lights danced all about the city, and a single bolt of lightning lit up the sky. Suddenly, it was raining; making those bright lights seem all the more distant.

"Hoagie and I are nothing but friends," Rachel said firmly, "Which is exactly why I came to talk to you."

"What, so I could congratulate you on yer friendship?"

"Fanny, grow up," Rachel said, rolling her eyes, "You won't even admit that you're jealous. But Hoagie...he's really hurt right now, and I think you know why."

"That boy is angry, is what he is," Fanny said with a snort, "All because he had to do something as stupid as ki…"

"He kissed you?"

Fanny turned bright red, and looked down at the table, studying the gray color closely. She wasn't about to answer that question. Of course, her lack of answer spoke just as many volumes as the alternative.

"Fanny..." Rachel said slowly, "Did you push him away?"

More silence. Rachel pressed further. "Because, Fanny...if you didn't, you really shouldn't be accusing Hoagie of being a player. If you didn't push him away...especially if you kissed back..." Rachel pursed her lips, knowing her friend would not want to hear the next part of the sentence. But she had to. Rachel was the only one who knew how to bring Fanny back to Earth, make her realize what she was doing wrong. "Then, Fanny...you justified his hopes."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?!" Fanny demanded, surprising even herself that she had the gall to talk back to Rachel.

"It means, Fanny," Rachel said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder in Hoagie's direction, "For a brief moment in time, you got over yourself, and realized that he'd be better for you than Albert ever could be...and..."

"And what?" Fanny asked, her voice a mix of curiousity and irritation.

"And that you love him just as much as he loves you."


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter is done by TehDrabbler. enjoy

Chapter Six

The following evening, Hoagie stuffed a dark sweater into his backpack. He'd wear his normal clothes to the rendezvous point, but something darker would be required once they got in there. When dealing with Father's vassals, you didn't take chances.

He tromped down the stairs as though nothing unusual was going on. His mother was in the kitchen, still cleaning up from dinner. "I'm leaving, now."

"Bye-bye, Hoagie," she responded. "Just be home by midnight."

He closed the door closed behind him and sighed tiredly. The sun was just about to set, and the air was already cooling down. It was a longish walk—he couldn't take his easily traceable car—so he was leaving early. And with luck, he'd reach the meeting place _before_ his… teammate.

Hoagie knew the way by heart, and his feet carried him unerringly. Unfortunately, this allowed his mind to wander back to yesterday's conversation…

_She shook her head a few times. "What did she mean by 'player'?"_

_  
Hoagie shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure, but I have an idea." His lips twisted into grim smile. Fanny's opinion of him was lower than he thought.  
A familiar beeping caught his attention. Only two girls still had Rainbow Monkey ring tones on their cells. He listened closely—too closely—as she answered it. Albert. Of course._

_  
Rachel's eyes darted from Hoagie to Fanny and back. She has not missed the way his posture tensed at the name, nor the way he crushed the paper slurpy cup in his fist. Lips pursed, she drummed her fingers on the table. "Hoagie, this mission is too important to mess up. If this personal matter is too—"_

_  
"I can handle it," he interrupted._

_  
"Do you love her?"_

_  
The crushed slurpy cup dropped to the table. Hoagie stood, never looking her in the eye. He didn't say anything for a long minute. "I can handle it," he repeated, and left the table without a backward glance._

Hoagie had stopped walking (fortunately on the sidewalk). Did he love her? He didn't want to answer that. Forcing his mind back on track, he crossed the street and walked the final block to the rendezvous point.

The delay had cost him. There, in the deepening shadows of twilight, she waited for him. Her red hair caught the final simmering rays of sunlight as she frowned, irritated, at him. He inhaled sharply and realized it hurt to breath. But even when it hurt, breathing was vital to life.

Just like loving Fanny.

------------------------------------

Rachel twirled her pen absently, unable to focus on the open book in front of her. The library was nearly empty, so she shouldn't have had any problems concentrating on her report, but she had bigger things to worry about.

It might have been a mistake. Maybe she _should_ have sent someone else. Numbuh 5 could have handled it, only she'd had a very close call last month, and Rachel reluctant to send her on missions so soon. Numbuh 2 was required, since he had developed complex device to crack any code—electronic or otherwise—and no one could stay awake through his lengthy explanation long enough to understand it. But Numbuh 86 could use a break, Rachel told herself. More time to spend with her boyfriend.

And therein lay the root of her worries.

Fanny was a difficult girl. She got along with Albert because he let her have her way. Spoiled her, as Mr. Boss still did. But Hoagie… he refused to be a doormat. They challenged each other. They brought out the worst, but also the best. No one in the TND had to guess who rewrapped Hoagie's injured arm while he slept after a very rough landing in a sabotaged plane, or who secretly reworked Fanny's MUSKET to fire accurately up to 200 yards. And even though they spent most of it fighting, Numbuhs 2 and 86 spent most of their time at KND gatherings together.

Rachel sighed and rubbed her temples. This entire situation was giving her a headache.

---------------------------------------

"I always figured Tessla for a villain."

Fanny glared at him. They were watching Ms. Tessla's house. She was the teacher working with Father. To be honest, Fanny wasn't surprised, either. But Tessla knew them, which only increased the risk.

"Shut yer trap," she whispered. "If she catches us, we'll be in for more than detention.  
He didn't answer, but she didn't expect him to. Night was fully upon them now. They watched the house through the lenses of night-vision binoculars, waiting for a chance to move. Intelligence informed them that Tessla usually went out on Saturday nights, and didn't return until the early morning. They would have to work fast, though. Fanny's curfew was 11.

She peered through the binoculars again, but nothing was happening. Again. She sighed and leaned against the branch conveniently located across the center of her back. They scouted from a tree again—it was the easiest way to watch anything, and an excuse for being in a tree was readily available at any time, day or night. This tree was located in the yard juxtaposed to Ms. Tessla's back yard. They would enter through the back door; Fanny would lead and take care of any surprises. Ideally, the plans would be in the desk or safe, both located in the teacher's office on the first floor. If not, they would have to search the entire house, and the odds of being seen or captured would be enormous.  
Fanny shook her head clear of the thoughts. They would worry about that when—_if_—it happened. She had other things to worry about at the moment.

The seen was all too familiar. They tree, the house, the sky. A different tree, not even the same kind, a different house on the other side of town, a different… okay, so the sky didn't change. Still, the similarities were… unnerving, to say the least. Fanny shook herself again. _You've got a job to do_, she thought. _You can't afford to get distracted, no matter what Numbuh 362 said._

_  
She was wrong, anyway_, Fanny continued. _I certainly_ don't _love him. And he doesn't love anyone. He just likes chasing anything in skirts. Even me._

_  
Nobody's that persistent._

Fanny scowled, wishing Rachel's voice would stay out her head.

The lights in the house suddenly went out. The two operatives sat perfectly still, waiting. In less than a minute, Ms. Tessla's car pulled out of the driveway on the other side of the house and drove down the street. They waited five minutes longer, just in case. Finally, Numbuh 86 inhaled the crisp night air. "Let's do this."

--------------------------------------

Hoagie pulled the dark sweater over his head as Fanny tucked her wild hair under a black cap. Their backpacks drooped near the base of the tree, small weapons and complex devices scattered around. Whatever personal issues still hanged between them were pushed aside for the moment. Their mission had begun.

Fanny checked her MUSKET for ammo, and finding it to her satisfaction, looked over the fence to Ms. Tessla's back door. The back yard wasn't large; a rough square about 30 feet long. The light on the back door contained a motion sensor, which could be problematic.

Could be… Fanny aimed carefully and pulled the trigger. A blob of mustard, extra spicy, flew easily across the yard and nailed the light, sensor and all. It dropped almost silently into the bushes. Fanny allowed herself a small smile. She didn't have the top score in Quarter-Life _and_ Countersmack for nothing.

She grabbed the top of the fence and jumped, boosting herself over, only scrapping her bare legs slightly. She landed on the other side in a crouch, poised to dodge any booby traps she may have sprung. When nothing happened, she motioned for Hoagie to join her. He adopted a similar technique, landing on his face rather than his feet.

Fanny rolled her eyes as he clamored up, then started creeping across the yard with exaggerated care. She paused only once, when Hoagie strode passed her, not even bothering to crouch. He reached the door with no alarm being sent up by a nosy neighbor and started on the lock. Fanny's lips puckered into a sulk before she stood and followed.  
The back door was located at the top of three small steps. Hoagie sat on the third and fiddled with some mechanical lock-picker. It seemed to Fanny that he was taking his sweet time about it, but they were still in the open, so she remained silent. Leaning against the wall, her eyes darted around, watching for the slightest abnormality that could signal an attack or another intruder. The neighborhood was quiet, and nothing or no one disturbed the stillness.

With a small click, the lock unlatched. Fanny drew her weapon again and took her position at the front. She twisted the knob carefully so it wouldn't make any noise, cracked the door open, and slipped inside.

Never having been inside a teacher's house, Fanny didn't know what she had been expecting, but this was certainly not it. The back door opened to a large modern kitchen. Moonlight slipped through the window and gleamed off the stainless steel oven and refrigerator. Countertops and cabinets mirrored the pale light with their own stark brightness. The hardwood floors glistened, not a single scratch marring the surface. Everything from the darkest corner to the smallest pot was spotless and polished to mirror-hue. The room looked as though it had never been touched, let alone cooked in.  
This teacher got paid _very_ well.

"All clear," she whispered. Hoagie slipped in and closed the door with a quiet click before looking around. He gave a low whistle. "Father sure pays well."

Fanny ignored the statement and moved across the room to the swinging door. "Where's the study?"

"Should be right across the hall."

She nodded and peeked through the door, expecting a trap of some—

"Hey!" Surprise made her forget to be quiet. Hoagie just rolled his eyes and walked through the door he had pushed open, nearly making Fanny fall. "Relax. You think there's gonna be lasers or something? Those things take weeks to install." She winced as he crossed the floor, but nothing happened. "Hmph," she hugged before following.

The rest of the house was decorated with the same modern details. Picture frames were icy grey metal, and the photos they protected were just as cold and lifeless. The floors and furniture were highly polished wood with very few cushions and throw rugs to break the monotony.

The study was easy to find, but Hoagie paused before entering. "It's open," he whispered without turning around.

"How would you know?" she demanded, unable to see the door behind his bulk. "You haven't even tried the knob."

"No, it's _open_."

She looked over his shoulder. The door was, indeed, open. About a foot of space lay between the edge of the door and the frame. Such carelessness was out of place in the stark surroundings. And Tessla had always been a stickler for details.

Fanny walked forward, her MUSKET still in her hand. "It'll take more than an amateurish trap to catch the Kids Next Door!" She kicked the door open and pointed her weapon; eyes moving quickly around the room, prepared to shoot whatever was waiting for them.  
Nothing.

Disappointed, Fanny lowered her gun. "This is the most _boring_ mission I've ever been on."

"Likewise." Hoagie was already searching for a safe, careful not to leave fingerprints on the spotless surfaces. "At least we'll get out of here soon. This place gives me the creeps."

Fanny had to admit, the house was rather eerie. It was too pristine. Too cold. Like an operating room before a heart transplant.

Under the desk, behind a hidden panel sunk carefully into the floor, Hoagie found the safe. "Figures," he muttered, unimpressed. In a matter of minutes, the safe was opened and the contents being riffled through.

"Will you hurry up?" Fanny hissed.

"Do _you_ wanna look? There's a lot of junk in here."

She ignored that. "Something is not right." She looked around nervously, not sure what she hoped to find, hoping she wouldn't find it.

"Lemme guess: women's intuition? Ah _ha_." He removed a small flash drive from the bottom of the safe, a printed label stuck firmly to its side. "Paydirt."

"Good. Then let's go." She could not shake this feeling that they were on the verge of something unpleasant.

Hoagie dumped everything back into the safe, locked it, and tucked the drive into his pocket. "We are out of here."

In the hall, Fanny was closing the office door just enough when they heard the unmistakable sound of an approaching car. They froze instinctively and exchanged worried glances. "Nah," Hoagie said, trying to remain optimistic. "No way she'd be back this early."

The car pulled into Tessla's driveway, and the engine turned off.

Hoagie's eyes widened. "Uh-oh."

Fanny whimpered. "We're busted," she squeaked, retreating into panic-mode.

Hoagie looked around desperately as high-heeled footsteps approached the door, then spotted their salvation. "In here." He half-dragged Fanny into the closet as the footsteps paused. They inched behind hanging coats as keys scrapped the front lock. Stacks of boxes left a small niche in the corner, and Hoagie squeezed himself in, pulling Fanny as close as possible as the front door opened and the enemy entered.

Fanny forced herself to relax and breath steadily so as not to give away their location. Unfortunately, when she relaxed it was far too easy to notice things. Hoagie held her close, his arms wrapped protectively around her back and shoulders. Her head pressed against his chest, and she could hear his heart beat beneath her ear. And worst of all, she wasn't the slightest bit nervous anymore. The near agitation she had felt was gone, leaving something indefinable in its place. Here, in the eye of the storm, at the brink of the lion's jaws, she felt safe. As Tessla's heels clicked passed the closet unhesitant, Fanny felt her insides being torn into little pieces. Why did something so wrong—it _had_ to be wrong—have to feel right?

They remained like that, trapped in an embrace, for what seemed like hours but could only be minutes. Finally, the teacher left, and the car pulled away. Still they lingered, waiting again, just in case. Eventually, Hoagie took a deep, quavering breath. "I… think she's gone," he breathed in her ear. He must have been more nervous than her; his voice was hoarse. Nodding silently, she stepped away—did he just caress her arms?—and left their impromptu sanctuary.

The exit went as smoothly as the entrance, and soon they were beneath the neighbor's tree, packing up their belongings. A quick look at her watch showed it was only 9:30; plenty of time to get home.

They walked silently, going the same direction, but not really together. Hoagie couldn't even bring himself to look at her.

There hadn't been a choice, really. The closet was so small, and if Tessla had looked inside… Well, if he hadn't held her, they might have been noticed. It was a sorry excuse, but the only one he had. He knew why she hadn't pushed him away. She couldn't have. Not without alerting the enemy to their presence. That's what stung. For a few sweet minutes, he'd held her as he'd dreamed of doing for so long. When he stopped listening for danger, he could almost pretend he had a right to hold her, that she didn't belong to someone else. That she wanted him.

They trudged along, each lost in their own miserable thoughts, to drop their prize off at the ultra-secret TND headquarters, neither suspecting that the flash drive clearly labeled "Evil Adult Plans" contained nothing but a useless recipe for carob fudge.


	7. Chapter 7

chapter by me...enjoy

Chapter Seven

Hoagie sat at the round table at TND headquarters Sunday morning with his chin rested upon his folded arms. He didn't want to dare look Numbuh 362 in the eye as she stood up at the head of the table. He took a glance at Fanny, who seemed to be kicking herself inside as much as he was. For the first time working together, they had failed completely.

"Right, as we know the original idea of sneaking into her house and stealing the evidence was a bad one." Rachel drummed her fingers as she spoke quietly.

"So, what do you propose we do then?" Nigel enquired, glancing at Hoagie for a mere split second before returning his attention to the front.

"Well, luckily we always have a backup plan." She pulled a roll-easy white board with a timetable written on it. She pointed to the first box with writing in it under 'Monday'. "Right, Monday morning at first period is English. Besides myself, who's in this class?"

Abby and Patton raised their hands, and Rachel continued.

"Right, so the three of us are to keep an eye on Ms. Tessla at all times. Now, for the Tuesday Shop Class, which is Numbuhs 2, 23 and 4, you need to do the same thing. And the rest goes for the week. Anytime she leaves the room, check her desk unnoticed. She has important information of the adults' new plans, and we need to get them away from enemy lines. Understood?"

Everyone nodded once, and Rachel nodded back. "Right, this meeting is dismissed."

All the present operatives got up and shuffled out of the room in pairs, muttering to each other and sharing gossip they'd been holding onto for the time of the meeting. All except for Fanny however, who opted to stay behind and plan a little more with Rachel. But her curiousity of not looking at anyone got the better of her, and she peered up to see Hoagie bringing up the rear of the leavers.

Her mind wandered back to last night; the way he held her so protectively, the way the warmth of his body calmed her, and the way he was so soft to lean upon…

She shook her head furiously. So what if he wasn't as hard as a wood plank to hang onto? What if he was warm and more protective in his hold? What did that seriously matter to her anyway? She had Albert, and that was all she needed, right?

Well, she thought he was all she needed. They never fought or even had a snip at each other. He treated her like a princess and gave her all she asked for. And was just so nice…

Too nice. She analyzed it carefully. He was just too nice to her. But isn't what every girl asks for in a guy?

"Fanny, are you busy or something?" Rachel inquired as she seated herself, snapping her friend out of her trance.

"I'm fine, I was just thinking." She replied with a half-hearted smile. Unfortunately, Rachel saw right through it.

"You aren't fine. I saw you having a perv as he walked out."

"I was NOT perving on anyone. And even if I was, it'd would be on my _boyfriend_." She made sure it got through Rachel's head that she was indeed happily taken be another boy.

"Right, your boyfriend…" She trailed off, looking as if she wanted to ask a question but didn't want to in fear of a bad reaction. But it seemed the temptation and curiousity got the better of her. "Fanny, mind me asking what happened last night? Because the tension between you two is so thick you could cut it with a knife."

Fanny knew it was her boss, but she couldn't help but glare at her. "We went to the house, got the USB drive and left. That's it."

Rachel knew then she was avoiding the question. "You know what I mean Fanny."

"Look, nothing happened!" Fanny got up in a boiling rage. "We did the mission and failed, end of story!"

And before Rachel could breath a word, the fiery redhead had already stormed through the door.

-----------------------

Monday morning couldn't have come quicker, meaning phase one of the weeklong plan was to commence. Though, Hoagie had this tiny nagging feeling that it wasn't going to work. That is was just some trick, and they were playing right into it. But as his duty as a TND operative, he had to think positive. Though, he didn't see how he could think positive now.

Abby walked beside him and Wally that morning, both noticing he wasn't doing as good as made out to be to Nigel. To them, Hoagie seemed almost…depressed.

They got to his locker, and both Abby and Wally looked from him to each other. Neither of them knew what to say. Abby opened her mouth, then thought the better of it and closed it again. Their answer however, came just in time as Rachel grabbed the technician's arm, send a silent apology and stalked off with him. Abby folded her arms with a smirk, before tipping her hat over her eyes and heading off with her Aussie friend in the opposite direction. If anyone could sort him out, it would be their supreme boss.

"So, how about _you_ tell me what really happened last night." Rachel stated, pursing her lips as Hoagie rolled his eyes.

"What, because Fanny didn't tell you squat you assumed I would?" He stopped, and sighed. "Look, nothing went on. We almost got caught, but didn't. That's really the only other deal that happened."

"So then why aren't you two even looking at each other then?"

Hoagie stopped, trying to figure out how he'd worm his way out of this one. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of anything.

"Hoagie, you can't keep pretending everything's fine." She stated, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If this...war you two are having keeps up, I might consider putting you both on the sidelines for a break."

"You can't do that!" He finally got the courage to say.

Rachel sighed, seeing how much this idea irked him. To be honest, it pained her to even think about it. "Well, it's a qualified rule Hoagie. You either sort things out with her soon, or you're both out of job until you do."

She took one last look at him with uttermost pain, before leaving for her class.


	8. Chapter 8

By CIndyNeutron

Chapter Eight

"Fanny, are you all right?" Albert's voice made her sit up, and before she knew what she was doing, she shook her head no. She realized her mistake and frowned. After all, this was not typically a question one asked for want of the true answer. It was just a formality.

Well, that wasn't true. Not when two certain people asked her. The first, of course, was Albert. The second….Hoagie P. Gilligan. As much as it pained Fanny to admit it, that boy was genuinely concerned about her. And she loathed him for it.

"So what's wrong, then?" Albert pressed, wrapping an arm around her waist as they made their way to her fourth period, with him just escorting her as it was on his way. She casually glanced across the hall, watching as Hoagie went into shop class with Ms. Tessla.

Albert tracked her gaze and frowned. "Has that ruffian been causing you problems again? He asked, looking concerned. _You don't know the half of it,_ Fanny thought, her fingers instantly going to her lips. Every place Hoagie had touched her - her arms, her back, her lips - they all felt warm. Tingled a bit. Albert shook his head. "You know that I'll protect you from him."

"Err..thanks," Fanny said, before removing his arm from her waist, "But I can handle Hoagie Gilligan."

Fanny sat down beside Rachel, gave a nod hello, and started writing down the notes on the board. The teacher in this class never actually taught, and never gave homework. Just pages upon pages of notes. Which also meant he never noticed when students passed notes.

Rachel and Fanny usually used this class as a meeting ground of sorts, as they could easily destroy the notes, and with paper, there was no chance of someone overhearing them. Rachel ripped out a sheet of notebook paper and started to scrawl. A moment later, Fanny was handed a note.

_It would seem that Tessla's on to us._ Fanny wrote back _Why do you say that?_

_Because,_ Rachel scrawled quickly, _nobody's been able to find somebody. Nobody's that squeaky clean. Not even Father is this careful about things. Tessla's extremely dangerous. We've still no idea what her plans are._

Fanny frowned, giving a guilty sigh. It was the first mission she'd failed since her induction into the Kids Next Door. She was not going to be over it anytime soon. Worse, the thought of the stakeout brought back rushing memories of her huddling close to Hoagie. "Grr…that boy," she muttered aloud, glancing away when Rachel gave her a questioning look.

Rachel grabbed back the paper and started writing again, her hand practically flying across the lines, ink flowing so quickly that Fanny could only sit there and be amazed.

The note was passed back.

_Fanny, look, I want you to knock it off. If you don't want to be with Hoagie, fine, just stop moaning and groaning about it. It's not like you to put your work second, and for someone who hates him so much, you seem to spend a lot of time thinking about him. Stay with Albert or go to Hoagie, whatever, but stop letting it interfere with your job or I will put you both on suspension, and I will make sure you spend that time together until you work this whole stupid thing out._

Fanny's jaw dropped as she tried to think of something to say. She felt her cheeks grow very hot, from a mix of frustration, anger, and embarrassment. She tried to think of something scathing to say, some witty remark that would make her best friend shut up and stop acting like she knew better.

Which would have been easier if that tiny part of Fanny that was no longer in denial didn't agree with Rachel so much.

The bell rang, and Hoagie frowned, tapping Wally on the shoulder. "Did you find anything on Tessla yet?"

"No dice, mate," his short friend said with a shrug, "Uh-oh…here comes Fancy Pants..looks sorta angry."

Sure enough, headed their way was Albert. He was frowning, and looked purposeful as he crossed to Hoagie, pushing him into the lockers. "So…uh..guess you found out about it, huh?" Hoagie said, his voice going a bit high pitched and nervous. As angry as he was at Fanny, as much as he thought Albert was little more than a trained puppy, he hadn't intended to hurt the guy. Hoagie was an empathetic person, and he felt for him.

"Found out about you treating my girlfriend badly?" Albert said, pinning Hoagie against the locker. Hoagie was too shocked to try to move, even though he could have broken the grip quite easily.

"If you want a fight, princess, ya should take it up with me instead o' my best buddy," Wally growled, but Hoagie shook his head.

"Not now, Wally…go find Abby or Kuki or something. I need to talk to Albert alone," Hoagie said, carefully pushing Albert's arms away. The Aussie shrugged, but took the advice. Once he was out of earshot, Hoagie turned his attention back to Albert. "Look, about Fanny -"

"Just because she wouldn't take you doesn't give you the right to treat her that way!"

Hoagie's mouth hung open. He had been about to say something, but in light of Albert's comment, he'd forgotten what it was. "..What makes you think I wanted her?" Hoagie said carefully. Clearly, Albert did not know about the kiss. That was good, at least for Fanny's sake.

_For Fanny's sake…why should I care anymore?_ Hoagie thought bitterly, as thoughts of revenge filled his head. _I should tell her little boyfriend about her kissing me back, should let him know exactly how little miss Fullbright acts when he's not around…_Hoagie forced himself back to his senses. _You can't hurt her just because she hurt you. That would mean you don't love her as much as you thought…_

"Go ahead, Albert," Hoagie said slowly, "Free shot. I probably deserve it." Albert looked stunned for a moment. But he did not back down. Sure enough, a moment later, a fist landed a hard blow to Hoagie's right eye.

"That's all," Albert said simply, "You were a sport about it, so I'll get going now. Have that checked out by the nurse."

Hoagie nodded, noting that maybe Abby had been right when she'd accused him of being too nice to people who didn't deserve it. "What the heck happened to you?!" Fanny asked, coming out of a nearby classroom and spotting his black eye immediately.

"I doubt you really care, Fullbright," Hoagie said simply. There was no anger to his tone. It was, however, Fanny noted, full of defeat. _Not like him at all,_ she thought.

"Well…yeh are my team mate," she said, fishing for excuses. Excuses to care about this boy, other than that one scary one. The one true reason why. "Let's get ya to the nurse," she said, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt and pulling.

"I'm fully capable of walking by myself," he said, surprised at the anger his tone reflected. He hadn't meant it that way. Fanny, who used that very same tone all the time, was unscathed.

"You are going to the nurse whether I drag you or have to carry you!"

"You couldn't lift me," He said logically.

"I'd find a way."

"You're way too stubborn," He noted, smiling. Whatever the reason, this did prove that she cared what happened to him.

"So..who did it to you?" Fanny asked casually. At least, as casually as she could. "Don't suppose it means you got new information on Tessla, does it?"

"No..more of an extra incentive to keep my hands to myself,"

Fanny paused where she was, tensing. Hoagie realized immediately that she'd gotten the wrong meaning. "So you were goin' around chasing skirts?!"

"No," He said simply, not bothering for further explanation. She almost seems jealous, he noted with a smirk. "Hey, Fullbright?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," He said as they came upon the nurses office.

"Oh..whatever," she muttered, unable to fight the blush that came to her cheeks.

"I told you I wanted it done tonight!" A voice came from inside the office.

"…That's Tessla!" Hoagie said incredulously, cupping an ear and placing it to the door. Fanny followed suit.

"B-b-but…but Father said that it just had to be done in time for his all adult ice cream social," a timid voice wailed. Fanny frowned, trying to place the other voice, but she just couldn't.

"No more excuses," Tessla barked at the other person, "Tonight, my house. And keep in mind that my temper and wrath can be just as bad as Father's. Good day." There was the sound of heels scraping across the floor as Tessla turned to leave.

Hoagie and Fanny noticed at the same time that she would be on them in a moment, and there was no where for them to hide in the hallway. Thinking quickly, Hoagie grabbed Fanny and pinned her against the locker, pressing his mouth against her's. She struggled to get away, but he moved on hand behind her head, pushing their lips all the closer.

"What are you two kids doing?!" Tessla demanded. They separated. Fanny blinked several times. _**I'm** not sure what we were doing,_ she thought, glancing at Hoagie, who had an innocent smile on his face.

"Sorry," he muttered, his voice fake and positively dripping with lousily acted sheepishness.

"Next time I cite you for Public Display of Affection," Tessla warned, before turning and leaving.

"All right, we need to get that information to Rachel right away," Hoagie whispered as Tessla retreated. "Uh..Fanny?" Fanny looked very distant, but not entirely unhappy. She finally came back down to Earth, and started cuffing Hoagie repeatedly in the arm.

"You'll find any excuse to do that, won't you, Gilligan?!" she demanded, landing a good punch on his shoulder. He winced, then grabbed her arms, stopping the barrage of blows.

"I didn't see you coming up with any ideas, Fullbright," He said, tapping his foot, "Now are we going to go alert the others or not?"

Fanny nodded, still trying to come back down to reality. As she followed Hoagie, she just kept wondering about that. _Was it really just for a cover up?_ And then, to her horror, she found herself thinking _I really hope that wasn't the only reason._


	9. Chapter 9

By Teh-Drabbler

Chapter 9

He was a freaking genius.

Not five minutes after getting slugged for sniffing around another guy's girl, he kissed her again. Hoagie touched his tender eye as a painful reminder. "Einstein had nothing on me," he muttered.

Fanny had abandoned him shortly after leaving the nurse's office. Everyone except Kuki had lunch after fourth period, and Fanny spent it with her… with Albert.

He probed the darkening bruise again. There hadn't been a choice, really. It was the only safe outlet. And like all the safe outlets lately, it involved him doing something he had no right to do.

His uninjured eye narrowed. This couldn't be entirely _his_ fault. She never pushed him away. That night in Tessla's closet, she had clinged to him. He hadn't imagined it. He couldn't have.

Then there was her _boyfriend_—his mind hissed the word. He stalked around, telling Hoagie to back off, but never seemed to do his job. Hoagie half-wished Albert had been chosen for the TND. Even though he had physically been eleven, his over-thirteen status and extreme loyalty to the cause should have gotten him out of decommissioning. Then _he_ would be the one trailing after Fanny, keeping her out of Hoagie's hair. And more importantly, out of his arms.

Hoagie sighed, turning the corner that led to the lunch room. It would have been easier, he thought, if Albert had been a jerk. Hoagie wouldn't feel so bad about trying to steal a total creep's girlfriend. Not, he added, that he was trying to steal Fanny from anyone. Nope. She had Albert, and he, much as Hoagie hated to admit it, seemed to love her. Maybe as much as Hoagie did.

He shook his head, trying to clear the traitorous thoughts. He would get things back on track with Fanny. They'd go back to being teammates and nothing more, because he had no business to try and win her for himself.

_You're going to try anyway, though._

Yup. He was a freaking genius.

----------------------------------------

Rachel stared blankly into her bowl of cafeteria-grade pea soup. The informal meeting was split between two tables: Rachel, Patton, and Nigel sat at one table. Hoagie sat at another, back to back with Rachel, with Wally and Abby completing the set. Fanny was absent, sitting across the room with her boyfriend. Not that Hoagie was watching. He'd deliberately chosen this seat so he wouldn't have to.  
Rachel stirred her soup. "So, Tessla has an accomplice. Any idea who it is?"

"I can tell you who it isn't," Hoagie answered without turning. This setup worked for secret meetings, since two operatives could converse quietly without looking suspicious. Even if they had sat together, the cafeteria was so noisy, no one could have eavesdropped. "It wasn't the nurse; he's not that whiny. Actually, I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman."

"Not the nurse, and the office was empty when you left." Rachel let her spoon clink to the side of the bowl. "Another teacher or an outsider, then."

No one spoke, though all six were thinking the same thing. What had started as a routine mission turned out to be something far deeper and more dangerous than any of them had imagined. And it was going down tonight.

Rachel could feel her migraine returning. "You and Numbuh 86 will have to do this," she said, regretting the inevitable decision. The two hadn't reconciled yet; in fact, they seemed to be more distant than before. But they were the only ones with experience on Tessla's territory. There was no time to prep anyone else. "I know this is a lot of pressure," she started, "but if you fail again… we still don't know what their planning."

"I understand." And he did. Worst case scenario, failure could bring about the end of the entire Kids Next Door, leaving the world at mercy to adult tyranny. The only option was to succeed.

Lunch was completed in silence. Too much was riding on this one mission for any levity. Even Numbuh 2 couldn't think up a joke to break the tension.

The anxiety only got worse when Fanny left Albert at his next class and joined the group. They walked down the hall, together but in separate groups to disperse any unwanted attention. She seemed to avoid looking at Hoagie with more determination than ever displayed before, while he watched her too closely for anyone's comfort.

"That is _it_."

The operatives stared. Their leader didn't lose her temper often, but when she did, it could be more ferocious than Fanny's. This was no exception. Rachel turned, grabbing Fanny's hand and Hoagie's arm, and dragged them into an empty classroom. Rachel pointed at the pair and said sternly, "This has gone on long enough. If I had any other choice, you two would sit this one out, but I don't have that option. You two better kiss and make up _now_. The fate of the Kids Next Door may be riding on this one mission, so you two had better not mess it up."

She left, slamming the door behind her, leaving the two feuding operatives alone. The rest of the team had remained in the hall, preferring to stay out of the way while their leader was reprimanding the pair.

The echoes of the rebuke faded slowly, leaving apprehension, fear, and guilt behind. They knew she was right. If the mission failed, the blame would rest squarely on their shoulders. This… _thing_ between them had to end.

Fanny crossed her arms tightly around her abdomen. "This has to stop," she said, not trying to define what, exactly, "it" was.  
"I know," he agreed.

She inhaled deeply, feeling a pang in her heart that he acquiesced so easily. She continued briskly. "From now on, it's business, as usual."

He nodded. "Completely fraternal."

"Strictly platonic."

He closed the distance between them and slanted his mouth over hers. She squeaked in surprise before bringing her hands to his chest and pushing him away. She couldn't escape far, though; he had a firm yet gentle grip on her shoulders. "What are you doing?" she gasped. "We just agreed—"

"I lied." He lowered his head again, but her head turned before he could capture his mouth with his. Her lips set into a firm line, she pushed at his shoulders until he released her and stepped back. She stared at the buttons on his shirt for a long time before finally raising her eyes to his.

"It's not going to happen," she said, her tone devoid of anger, riddled with the same sad acceptance that had permeated his so recently. She turned to leave, but as she opened the door, Hoagie came up behind her and pushed it closed.

"Why are you being so stubborn?" he demanded, his voice low and husky with pain. "We're teammates, aren't we?"

This was true.

"We watch each other's backs, don't we?"

Also true.

"If you can trust me with your life," he finished, placing his hand on her shoulder in a gentle caress, "why can't you trust me with your heart?"

Fanny said nothing. She didn't have an answer. Instead, she shrugged away from his gentle touch, forced the door open, and walked away.

Hoagie remained, staring at the door for long minutes as though waiting for her to return, even though he knew better. In the silence, he cursed himself, wishing to take back what had taken so long to say aloud. He finally turned away, sweeping his arm furiously across the teacher's desk, throwing everything to the floor. The echoing bangs and crashes reflected the cacophony in his heart. Hoagie pressed his hands upon the empty desktop, shoulders slouched, head lowered in defeat.


	10. Chapter 10

by me. please R&R.

Chapter 10

The task was simple, spy on Tessla once again and find out the plan they were plotting. Abby had sneakily overheard that this mysterious helper would be at Tessla's house that night, helping her get ready to strike.

Hoagie knew it was a simple task to spy, but the problem he had was stopping them in their tracks. That was another mission in itself, but Rachel insisted it had to be done. She also told them to send a transmission for backup if need be.

Hoagie was beginning to wish Rachel had put them off the job, as nothing had changed between them. Not one single whisper was passed between them, and Hoagie seemed to fume quietly. He was over it, very, very over it.

He pulled binoculars up, and noticed through the satin-like curtains that two people were having an enraged inaudible conversation. One was of course Tessla herself, but the other was a complete mystery to him. He was sure he knew who it was…but then, he didn't think he knew. It seemed Fanny was in the same situation as him, as she pulled out a laptop, set it up and placed a set of headphones on. Hoagie watched from the corner of his eye as she began tapping away furiously.

"What are you doing?" He asked, curiousity getting the better of him.

"Well if you _must _know." She replied bluntly, disliking every word passed between them. "I'm trying to find a frequency that can tap into their conversation."

He merely slightly nodded, and acted like he wasn't that interested as he continued to peer through the binoculars. But inside, he was becoming more impressed with her. And sure enough, Tessla and her accomplices' conversation became present in the headphones. She saw him trying to pretend he wasn't listening, and huffed as she pulled his head in and placed the left side of the headphones upon his left ear. There they both looked away, trying to listen attentively to every word spoken.

"_Are you absolutely sure everything I need is present in these boxes?"_ Came Tessla's stern voice. They both heard a slight whimper from the second party, whom they still couldn't quite put the voice to a name.

"_I'm positive I've brought you everything you need." _The second character seemed to pause for a brief moment, before speaking again. _"But surely you're not going to plan on aging the children, are you?"_

"_No. This time it's so much more than that." _They heard a key locking as Tessla poured the plan out, oblivious to the fact that two teens were spying and listening in to her the whole time while they were in a nearby tree. _"The plan is simple; we're going to convince those bratty Teens Next Door to work for us. I know exactly who they are, and I know what they do. They're working for the Kids Next Door."_

"_But then, why the heavy artillery?" _

"_Because you fool, they're not just going to turn themselves in are they? No, these babies are for the blackmailing. Quite the charmer too. Most of those teens have younger siblings, and of course siblings stick up for each other…"_

"_B-but that's absurd. You're going to hurt their siblings?"_

"_Not unless they turn themselves in. then we'll start hurting people. But knowing these kids, they'll bend over backwards for them."_

"_So once you get the teens over to our side, then what?"_

"_Simple yet again. These teens are the best in their fields. The Kids Next Door could never match a ten year old against a sixteen year old, no matter how experienced their operatives are."_

Hoagie felt the binoculars slip from his fingertips and fall back to hang from his neck. Tessla knew who they were, and she knew their weakness.

She had fooled them into thinking she was just an ordinary adult whom was oblivious to it all, but they had been seriously wrong about her. And now she was the most dangerous adult they could come across. Fanny seemed to be just as mortified, as her fingers were slightly shaking.

They both stiffened as they heard the two villains leaving the room, and then there was only static in their ears. Fanny took the headphones and cursed a little too loudly. Hoagie clamped his hand over her mouth and pointed as they watched their teacher get into her car with the other shady character and drive out. Fanny packed her laptop away and slung it upon her shoulders, then motioned for Hoagie to follow her as she swung down to the lawn. Hoagie merely jumped down, and did a clumsy roll to her feet. She shook her head and began to climb the fence without him. He got up and dusted himself off, before swinging himself over with ease. Fanny sat on the top with a narrowed stare.

"Why didn't you do that before?" She asked, attempting to swing her leg over.

"Because I didn't want to show you up." He replied with a shrug. He watched her with a cocked brow as she struggled to swing her leg over. As to why she was doing this maneuver he had no clue, but what he did know was the fact she was lucky he had swung over. She lost her balance, and fell back into his outstretched arms.

"Gotcha." He said with a smirk. She pushed his face away and hopped out of his arms before carefully stalking off. He merely rolled his eyes and followed her in a similar fashion.

They reached a window, and noticed it had been slightly open. Tessla had expected she'd be receiving unwanted guests. Both knew this, but they had to carry out the mission. It seemed they'd be working faster if they were to steal some artillery.

Fanny crawled through the window, and didn't bother to wait as she began gliding her gloved fingers upon every door. She pressed as she went, trying to find a door that was locked. Though in tonight's case, half of the doors were locked.

"She's smarter than we thought." She stated, pulling a bobby pin from her hair and pulling it apart. "We've gotta open them all, and fast."

"Right, you take this side of the house, I've got the other side." Hoagie stated, before sliding through a door and disappearing from view.

Fanny merely sighed and picked at the first door. It seemed to open easily. _Way too easily. _She thought to herself as she carefully pushed the door open to peek inside. There she saw something that made her realize they had just walked right into her trap.

Not even bothering, she ran through the house and barged through the door. She had to get them out of there before something bad could happen. As she sped around a corner, her foot seemed to catch onto something sticking out of the floor. She tripped, landing on the floor with her foot twisting in a different direction to the rest of her body. She swore loudly, and pushed herself up to attempt to stand.

"That'd be right." She muttered, leaning on the wall for support. She took a step, and winced painfully with every step she took. "In the time I panic, I get hurt. Typical."

She pulled her body to come to a room, where Hoagie was fiddling with a lock. He turned when he heard a body slump to the floor, and saw his teammate sitting and holding her ankle with a scrunched up face.

"Hey, what happened?" He asked, rushing over and lowering his body to her side.

"This whole thing is a trap." She managed to get out. "I think I might have triggered something in the hall."

Hoagie stood up, and grabbed her arms to pull her up. Fanny seemed to object as he brought her close to hold her up.

"Look, I can do it myself. I don't need help from you."

Hoagie merely looked at her now swelling ankle, and with his free arm flicked her legs up to rest. "Sure, and I'm a super being."

"This is no time for jokes." She muttered as he carried her out and attempted to find a quick way out.

"Who said I was joking?" He muttered, hoisting her up a little more to keep a firmer grip on her. She noticed he seemed to be in the early stages of panic as he kept changing his mind in the direction they'd take.

He decided they'd go back the way they came, and hope they'd reach the window in time. However, both seemed to want to scream as they heard the car pull up. Hoagie began to giggle around as they heard the car doors slamming, and two pairs of shoes heading for the front door. Hoagie turned to a door, opened it and placed his friend inside.

"What are you doing?" She inquired with a hint of fear in her voice. He grabbed her shoulder gently and spoke as clear as he could.

"I want you to stay here until you know it's safe. Go to Rachel with the information and get her to get everyone ready. I'm going to have a goose chase with Tessla."

"Are you mad?! You cant do that!" Fanny hissed to him. He gave her a brief peck on the cheek.

"Just swallow your pride and do it." He stated, before closing the door on her and making a run for it. And as she heard Tessla's cries to catch him, she felt a single tear slide down her face. And then she realized it wasn't from the pain of her twisted ankle.


	11. Chapter 11

by CindyNeutron.

Chapter 11

_C'mon, Fanny...I can't keep doing this forever.." _Hoagie thought as he made a hard left down the street. He was not exactly in the best physical shape. But at least Tessla and her accomplice were following. _Gotta pack on the speed before they catch up..._

"Get him!" Tessla shrieked, struggling to run in her high heels. Still, she was much faster than her accomplice, who was hunched over a few paces back, gasping for air. "Oh, you wimp..hurry it up!"

"Oh..c'mon! I can't keep up!" the voice whined. Hoagie stopped where he was, trying very hard not to laugh. The accomplice..it was...

"The Toilenator?!" Hoagie turned around to confirm his suspicion, and, sure enough, a man in a yellow body suit with a head similar to toilet paper was standing there. But Hoagie paid dearly for looking back. In a moment, Tessla was upon him, his hands immediately bound together.

"You're pathetic," Tessla said, rolling her eyes at the Toilenator. "I can't BELIEVE I didn't realise that Father only assigned you as my partner as a way to get rid of you.."

"Hey, that's hurtful," The Toilenator complained, finally gaining a second wind and heading towards them.

Hoagie was torn between his fear of Tessla and his desire to poke fun at the Toilenator. "You just wait until the TND and KND come for me...you guys will be," Hoagie snickered at his own brilliance, "Flushed!"

"..Wow, this guy's lamer than I am," the Toilenator said, staring at him.

"Not quite," Tessla said, rolling her eyes, "But close to it."

----------------------------------------

Fanny crawled her way through bushes in someone's back yard. _Just great..I pick the only person on earth who's interested in topiary's backyard..._ she thought, pulling her skirt off the branch it was caught on. _Is Gilligan all right_

She pushed the question out of her mind, standing up and jumping over a fence. She glanced around. This was Nigel Uno's yard. He lived a block away from Rachel, so she was well on her way. _Do I get that idiot's help too?_ She frowned, thinking of her little brothers and the possibility that Tessla and her accomplice might already have them. _Okay, fine...I'll ask him for help...but so help me, if he makes a big deal out of this, I'm kicking him_

It turned out that her decision to ask Nigel for help was the right move. All the other Teens Next Door were already gathered at the treehouse, using it as a base in case she had called for back up.

"The kids!" Fanny said as she burst into the room. "The kids are in trouble...Shawnie, Patty, The Tommy, Rachel's brother, Joey...any of our relatives that are in the Kids Next Door are all in big trouble."

"Whoa, Numbuh 5 thinks you need to slow down," Abby said, giving her a pat on the shoulder, "Where's Hoagie?"

"Playing distraction," Fanny said, looking away. "He insisted I go for he--oww!" She fell over. With the immediate danger gone, her mind was free to wander back to the true pain her ankle was in. She gripped it, gritting her teeth. "We've got to go back for him..and to make sure Tessla doesn't already have the kids.."

"What exactly is she planning?" Rachel demanded.

"Couldn't really tell, to be honest," Fanny admitted, "But it's bad. Tessla's worse than we could have ever anticipated. I don't know about the accomplice. Could be just as bad as her..."

"Well, we gotta save Hoagie," Wally said, getting up from his seat. Rachel frowned.

"Yes, but what if they're mobile and just now getting around to picking up the kids?" Rachel asked, pacing. "We're all splitting up. Two teams. One to infiltrate Tessla's place and the other to find the Kids Next Door and protect them, assuming they're still safe. "

"What about Hoagie?" Fanny asked softly. The others stared at her.

"You actually...uh...care?" Nigel asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You should stay here, Fanny," Rachel said, glancing to the girl's ankle. "Get some ice on that.."

"No."

The others' mouths dropped open. "What was that, Fanny?" There wasn't any anger to Rachel's voice, just a kind of..shock.

"No, sir," Fanny said, shaking her head, "It's my fault Gilligan's still there. I'll find him."

Rachel observed her best friend for a moment, then sighed. "I can see you're not going to give in on this, so..very well. You find Hoagie. Wally, Kuki, and myself will go find the KND operatives. Nigel, Abby, you two infiltrate Tessla's. Fanny, go with them...Hoagie's probably still in that area."

"Thank you," Fanny said, giving a salute.

Rachel smiled. "Kids Next Door...Battle Stations!"


	12. Chapter 12

This is in fact the end of the fic. This chapter was by Teh-Drabbler

R&R

Chapter 12

The Teens Next Door split up. Wally and Kuki left in Rachel's jeep, their leader at the wheel. Abby helped Fanny into the backseat of Nigel's car. In moments, they were speeding down the street towards the enemy's house. Fanny used the spare moments to wrap her ankle with some bandages from the First Aide kit. Due to the bumpy ride, it took most of her concentration to doctor herself. Still, she couldn't help worrying. Who knew what Tessla was doing to him right now…

-------------------------------------

The pair of villains unceremoniously dumped Hoagie in a corner like a wet raincoat. Tessla insisted that his hands and feet be bound so he couldn't escape. That also meant he couldn't walk, forcing them to carry him. Hoagie felt some small satisfaction that they'd had so much trouble, but wasn't sure all that huffing and groaning was necessary. He couldn't be _that_ heavy.  
Tessla was leaning against the wall, her back turned to him until a sharp breeze caught her attention. "Close the door, you idiot," she snapped. The Toilenator jumped, then scurried over to do her bidding. When the door was secure, Tessla had recovered enough to pay attention to her captive.  
She walked over to him, her heels clicking ominously on the hardwood floor. "Well, well. Hoagie P. Gilligan."  
"Junior," he added.  
Tessla continued as though he hadn't spoken. "What ever am I to do with you?"  
The Toilenator approached, and asked in his Threatening Villain voice, "You want I should take care of him, boss?"

"No, you _idiot_," she hissed, reminding Hoagie of a cobra. "He's a two-by-four technology wizard. He'll be useful to us. Provided he's not… uncooperative."  
Hoagie said nothing. He was starting to worry. Fanny had been gone for… okay, he couldn't exactly check his watch, but way too long. Fanny would have enough trouble getting help from here, but she was also injured. And they didn't know if Tessla had any other accomplices lurking around. She might have been captured. The Kids Next Door wouldn't think of looking for them until it far too late. Tessla would have all the blackmail information secure, and the Teens Next Door would be putty in her hands.  
Not to mention Fanny really needed a doctor to look at that foot…  
"You have a little brother," Tessla said conversationally.  
Hoagie's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, so?" he asked, knowing what was coming.  
"It'd be a shame for these photos to get out, wouldn't it?" She held up a series of snapshots, each one featuring Tommy.  
His hands twitched, struggling against the 6-ply binding them together. "You wouldn't…"  
"Of course I would." She smiled like an eel. "But I won't. Provided you—"  
"Forget it, lady," he interrupted. "I'm not helping you, and neither will anyone else in the Teens Next Door."  
"Hm, suit yourself," she said, casually waving the photos like a fan. "But remember—"  
"I bet _I_ could make him join us!" The Toilenator raised his hand like a kid, so desperate and eager to prove himself.  
Tessla's fingers curled, wrinkling the photographs. "For the last time, Lou, just sit on the couch and keep your big mouth—"  
The wall exploded. At least, that's what it looked like. Actually, Nigel's car had tried to enter through the front door. Numbuh 5 clambered through the passenger-side window, coughing from the thick dust still floating in the air. "Was that _really_ necessary, Numbuh 1?"  
Nigel had kicked open the driver-side door and picked his way through the debris. "It wasn't _my_ fault! I knew I should have had those brakes checked."  
"Hey, guys. Little help." The teammates finally noticed Hoagie, sitting just beyond the rubble.  
"Ah, good. You're here." Nigel polished off his sunglasses and replaced them.  
"_Someone's_ been worried about you," Abby said slyly.  
Hoagie felt a small flutter of hope in his chest. "Oh, real—"  
The gunshot stopped him mid-sentence. He hadn't forgotten about Tessla. He just hadn't expected her to be packing heat.  
She lowered the handgun, pieces of the ceiling still fluttering around her, and aimed it at the operatives. Nigel and Abby, who hadn't thought to draw their weapons yet, raised their hands slowly in the air. They could dodge, but it would be far too easy for her to kill Numbuh 2. She gestured towards their friend, and they moved to stand by him. "My, my. Three operatives in one night. How ambitious." There was that eel impression again. "Now what should I do with you two? Abigail Lincoln doesn't have a _younger_ sibling, and Nigel Uno is an only child."  
Abby watched the pistol closely. "That's right," she agreed with outward calm. "You can't blackmail _us_."  
"Oh, I think I can," Tessla lyrically, shifting the gun to point at Hoagie's knee, oblivious to the fourth operative slipping out of the ruined car. "I really think I can."  
A blob of mustard shot from nowhere, sending the firearm sailing across the room. Tessla was surprised for only a moment, but a moment was all that was needed. Before she could look in the direction of the attack, Fanny's leg swung in a high arc, kicking Tessla across the face and throwing her to the ground. Nigel and Abby dived into the fray. Abby drew her weapon and kept a sharp eye on Tessla while Nigel tied the whimpering Toilenator up with his own tissue. Seeing the situation under control, Fanny could finally concentrate on something really important.  
"OOOOOOUUCH!" Fanny half-hopped, half-limped in a small circle. She'd been forced to leap in order to get Tessla in time, so landed on her good foot, but having to kick with her injured one. And it _hurt_. "Ow, ow, ow, ow…" She continued her awkward dance as Nigel released Hoagie and backup arrived.  
The other half of the team burst in with only a few comments – "Didja have to wreck the place?" asked Numbuh 4—but Hoagie paid them little attention. When his legs were free, he jumped up, a little unsteady due to cut-off circulation in his feet, and went to Fanny. She was sitting on the floor, probing her ankle tenderly. "Are you okay?" He leaned down to get a look at her face, still contorted with pain.  
"Uh, yeah. No further injury, I think."  
Hoagie sighed in relief. "Good." He took Fanny's shoulders and raised her to her feet. And shook her.  
"Have you lost your _mind_?"  
Everyone in the room stopped and stared. Hoagie didn't yell at her—not like that. And secondly, Hoagie didn't yell.  
"Don't you have any sense at all?" he continued, ignoring their audience. "You could have been _killed_!"  
Fanny shook herself from her own shock. "You're blaming _me_?" she shouted back. "You're the one running around trying to play hero."  
Their friends exchanged glances, then looked at Rachel. She looked at the battling couple and just shook her head. "At least they've made up." She winced at a particularly loud insult. "Sort of."  
Hoagie and Fanny looked about to launch into a serious argument, despite the fact that Hoagie was still supporting her. Rachel chose that moment to interrupt. "Numbuh 86, I want you to get that leg looked at." She narrowed one eye, excepting her to argue. "Now."  
Hoagie looked down, as though he'd forgotten about the injury, nevermind that's what they had been fighting about. "Right," he answered, then surprised everyone by swinging her into his arms. Fanny clutched at his shoulders, disoriented at being struck dumb more than once in an evening. In moments, though, she composed herself enough to object. "Put me down, you stupid boy!" she demanded. "I can walk on my—eep!"  
He pushed his face close, until their noses were almost touching. "Shut. Up."  
Fanny stared a moment, then turned her head away and crossed her arms. "Hmph." She pouted, but allowed herself to be carried through the back door and to the KND Medical truck, just arriving outside.

------------------------------------------

The next day, Fanny closed her locker and leaned tiredly against it.  
"Miss Fulbright!"  
She turned to look at the irritated teacher. "If you are late for class again, that's a full _week_ of detention."  
Fanny smiled. "Yes, Ms. Tessla," she replied too sweetly.  
Tessla narrowed her eyes before stalking down the hall, her heels clicking rapidly against the tiles. Fanny smirked at the teacher's back. Tessla wouldn't be a problem anymore. She'd proven to be so much of a threat that the KND decommissioning squad had taken care of her, ensuring she would remember nothing of the TND, Father, or his plans. The cleanup crew had located the boxes of incriminated materials and had them destroyed so the teen operatives could never again be threatened with them. The Toilenator was back in the Arctic Prison—much to the chagrin of his cellmates. All in all, the mission was a complete success.  
The only downside was that Fanny would be limping around on crutches for the next two weeks.  
"May I lend an arm, my dear?"  
Fanny glanced up at the _other_ downside. As Albert smiled at her, she gathered the strength to do something she should have done a week and a half ago.  
"Albert, I…" She glanced away, trying to find the right way to say this. "This… this isn't working out." She looked up again, hoping he wouldn't be too hurt. A glance at his downcast expression proved he was.  
"I… see," he said slowly. Neither spoke for a minute. Finally, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. When he pulled away, he was smiling, albeit sadly. "I… I hope you'll be happy." This time, Fanny didn't watch him walk away.  
Albert turned the corner, finally out of Fanny's line of vision, and let his shoulders droop. He did see. He saw more than she knew. It hadn't mattered before, because he loved her. That's where he and his rival differed. Albert loved her enough to let her go.  
Hoagie loved her enough to stay.

---------------------------------------

Later that day, Hoagie closed his locker with a sigh. Overall, it had been a good two weeks. They had intercepted another Adult plot, they'd gotten the drop on Tessla—always a plus—and Hoagie had finally come to terms with something that had been haunting him for weeks.  
He loved her. There was no changing that. But for whatever reason, she wasn't going to leave Al—her boyfriend to be with him. He couldn't change that either. He could only accept it.  
That didn't mean he was giving up. Oh, he wouldn't try to seduce her anymore, but they still had to work together. And in some weird way, they had always been friends. So he'd stick around, watching her back, protecting her when she let him. And maybe someday, maybe on a mission or at some meeting, she'd finally look at him and see what they could have together, what he wanted to give her. In the meantime, he still had something of hers Albert never could. The Kids Next Door would always own a piece of her heart, and since Hoagie was part of the Kids Next Door, in a way, he did, too.

"Where is she?" Rachel glared at her watch. "We've got to go over the details on that last mission and figure out some new protocol in case of a similar emergency situation."  
"She's probably hanging out with her boyfriend." Since coming to terms with it, Hoagie could finally say that word without choking on it.  
"Fanny doesn't have a boyfriend," Kuki chirped.  
He blinked at her. "What?"  
Kuki sighed in exasperation. "Don't you read the school newspaper?" She pulled that morning's issue from her Rainbow Monkey Carry-Me-Away Backpack and read the headline. "Cutest Couple Calls it Quits: The entire school was surprised when Francine Fulbright dumped her boyfriend, amnesiac Albert Watson, before first period."  
He was gone before she finished the sentence.

----------------------------------------------------

Fanny hopped down the hall, wishing her pride had let her accept the wheelchair her daddy had offered. Her arms had never been her strong point. _Well, now I'm making up for it_, she thought, wincing from her sore underarms.  
Suddenly her feet flew out from under her. The crutches clanged noisily to the floor and she reached out to grab onto something, anything! But all she found was…  
Hoagie P. Gilligan.  
She had been so focused on not falling over she hadn't heard him coming up behind her, and hadn't realized he was going to pick her up until she was already up.  
"Need a lift?" He grinned at the pun and started walking towards Tessla's class.  
Fanny sputtered indignantly. "Put me down, you dork! I can walk on my own."  
He shook his head cheerfully. "So," he said, changing the subject entirely, "I hear you're short one boyfriend."  
She stopped struggling, then looked away and crossed her arms. "So what?" she said with feigned lightness. "You here to replace him or something?"  
"You know I do."  
His suddenly serious tone made her look up. She blushed under his intense gaze. She looked away again. "So… what are we talking here?" she asked conversationally. "Sitting together at lunch?"  
"Well, that's a start."  
"Dates on the weekends and such?"  
"Can I get week_days_, too?"  
"Are you going to do every little thing I ask?"  
He grinned again. "Not on your life."  
She pretended to consider it. "I guess we could give it shot. Temporarily. Just to see where it goes."  
He let her legs slide to the floor. She could only stand on one foot, but since she was leaning against him, it didn't matter. He gave her a mock-scowl as she tried to control her twitching lips. "Brat," he said, lowering his mouth for the slow, sweet kiss they'd both been dreaming about, completely ignoring the whistles and cat-calls from the surrounding students.


End file.
